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  #1  
Old 10-24-2020, 08:03 PM
Kerry Pinkerton's Avatar
Kerry Pinkerton Kerry Pinkerton is offline
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Default Arbor Press...I was wrong!

The first guy I remember that was an arbor press advocate was an older fellow who came to the first years of the Oblong MetalMeets. I can't recall his name but bought a small round shot bag with a metal ring around it from him.

Since then, several people have used them including Pat Brubaker, the really innovative guy who bought Imperial from me. Years back, he came to Will's Redneck Roundup and had these doming dies which I bought and promptly sat out of the way.

Time passes and I now have serious arthritis in my right thumb. Hurts a lot when I hammer. Surgery is a good solution but there is 4 months in a rigid cast then therapy. I can't scratch my butt left handed...much less wipe my butt so I'm putting it off as long as I can and trying to drive on.

Today, I was putting some stuff up and saw my arbor press sitting under a workbench where it has been for 10+ years...sitting next to it were Pats dies, Dreary day so I drug the press out and sat it on a sturdy table over by my Eckolds and Viagra the Ewheel, I had to make an adapter to fit on the press ram and tap it for the 1/2" threads the tooling had. Then I recalled that shot bag and dug it out.

WOW! Just frigging WOW! I was stunned at how quickly it moved metal with little effort and NO PAIN. Stunned. I was working on Monique's knee and it is VERY, VERY complex. It was fighting how to get shape where I needed it. The press did it quickly, easily, and with no marking. The least I could have done was turn Monique's head around so she could watch.

20201024_170242_resized.jpg

20201024_170654_resized.jpg

I was so impressed that I called Pat to apologize to him for po po'ing it all those years. He laughed and told me about shrinking using the doming dies and a 'tuck puck'.

It was even better! This was a scrap piece of aluminum and about 2 minutes.

20201024_171115_resized.jpg

20201024_171122_resized.jpg

After a few minutes on the wheel it was perfect. THE tool for shrinking in small spaces for sure. Even the Eckolds have trouble with little stuff.

I was wrong...totally wrong and regret all the time I lost because I thought only wussies couldn't swing a hammer.
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Old 10-24-2020, 08:47 PM
Overkill Overkill is offline
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Yes it creeps up on us, and my thumbs are having issues too...

I always think about the fly press, and wonder if its something that a shop should consider. Essentially an arbor press, but may be easier to operate?

It’s okay Kerry, now at least we know you’re human
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Old 10-24-2020, 08:55 PM
abarthdave abarthdave is offline
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Check out a Fly Press , the weight at the end puts a lot of pressure with little work ,

My friend does a lot of work in stainless with his fly press ,

flypress2.jpg
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Old 10-24-2020, 09:03 PM
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Kerry Pinkerton Kerry Pinkerton is offline
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I've seen some incredible work with Fly Presses. Sadly, they just don't exist in my part of the world. I've never seen one in person. There is a guy on the west coast that imports them from Asia but shipping them east is prohibitive.
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Old 10-24-2020, 10:45 PM
Gulley Gulley is offline
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Bob Haverstock was the guy you bought the bag from.
We still sale them for him along with the three different radius forming heads.
We also have a how to video by Bob.
It is much more easy than swinging a hammer and you know where it is going to hit with a controlled amount of pressure.
Jerry Gulley
https://gulleyperformancecenter.com
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  #6  
Old 10-25-2020, 12:43 AM
Jaroslav Jaroslav is offline
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Kerry some things and procedures one rediscovers even though one knew about them.

Until recently, I did not understand the function of Eckold tools for spherical surfaces. Only after I was must fixed "all" them, I was surprised how beautiful they work. it was in a situation where I needed to shape stainless steel for the sink and I needed to have soft sheet metal and good shape.

But I've been using a "hockey" rubber puck for a long time. It lifts the material where you need it completely reliably.

Can you take a picture of the set?
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Old 10-25-2020, 12:12 PM
abarthdave abarthdave is offline
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Here is a flypress for sale on craigslist Staunton IL

https://stlouis.craigslist.org/tls/d...201947077.html
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Old 10-25-2020, 12:36 PM
hot rivet hot rivet is offline
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Had to read that a few times, putting off surgery or wiping it A bar press is what would really be good here, had mine for 10 years and still haven't done anything with it so i will sell it soon (similar to this) https://www.rondean.co.uk/product/no...ress-on-stand/
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Old 10-26-2020, 12:03 PM
mark g mark g is offline
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Kerry,

I had to smile at your post, because I remember having the same reaction discovering the arbor press. I have two that I use. One is probably overkill at 12 tons but it has a nice deep throat. With a few small modifications, I used it for a 316 stainless job that had many panels needing a lot of shape. To get to the shape as directly as possible and to avoid work hardening I roughed out with arbor press. I'm a fan.



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Old 11-04-2020, 11:49 AM
leoitch leoitch is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kerry Pinkerton View Post
I've seen some incredible work with Fly Presses. Sadly, they just don't exist in my part of the world. I've never seen one in person. There is a guy on the west coast that imports them from Asia but shipping them east is prohibitive.
Kerry,
you could try Bob of Postville Blacksmith. he is near Madison, WI. he is also a member of this forum.
if you remember my stainless sculpture, i did all the 4mm stainless shaping with one of his fly-presses.
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